Last time we spoke about “the dangerous of the tongue” today we will talk about another important issue that is “the diseases of the tongue”. There are many illnesses of the tongue, and we know them and we know that they are not good character, but let us see from the Islamic perspective, what our “deen” says about it.

Allah said in surah Isra 36: And do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge. Indeed, the hearing, the sight and the heart about all those (one) will be questioned.

Abu Hurairah r,a, narrated that the Messenger of Allah said: Any person who believes in Allah and the hereafter, let him say good, or let him be silent. (Imam Buhari and Musim)

It is the foremost responsibility of a believer to gain mastery over the tongue, rather than allow the tongue to gain mastery over us. In order to do this, we must first know the major spiritual diseases of the heart. Imam al-Ghazali, master theologian and mystic, identifies 8 common diseases of the tongue.

1. Lying: Considered one of the worst sins in Islam, and the Prophet (s) even warned against telling false stories in order to make people laugh, because once the tongue becomes used to lying it will spread to other spheres of your life.

Allah said in surah Nahl 105: They only invent falsehood who do not believe in the verses of Allah, and it is those who are the liars. Allah tells us that He does not guide those who turn away from remembering Him and who are heedless of that which He revealed to His Messenger. This kind of people will never be guided to faith by signs of Allah and the Message, which He sent His Messengers in this world.

Abu Harairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah said: The signs of a hypocrite are three: Whenever he speaks, he tells a lie. Whenever he promises, he always breaks it. Whenever he is entrusted, he betrays (if you keep something as a trust with him, he will not return it).

Abdullah ibn Mas’ud narrated that the Messenger of Allah said: “Indeed as-sidq (truthfulness) leads to al-birr (righteousness) and al-birr leads to Paradise. And a man will tell the truth until he is written with Allah as truthful. And indeed al-kadhib (lying) leads to al-fujoor (wickedness) and al-fujoor leads to the Fire. And indeed a man will lie until he is written with Allah as a liar.”

And according to Muslim, in his introduction to his Sahih, and others, the Messenger, said: “It is sufficient for a man to be a liar that he narrates everything he hears.” The Prophet used to joke but he would only speak the truth. He said: “I guarantee a house in the middle of Paradise for he who leaves lying even when joking.”

2. Breaking promises: Do not break your promises for it is a sure sign of hypocrisy in the heart. Abu Harairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah said: The signs of a hypocrite are three: Whenever he speaks, he tells a lie. Whenever he promises, he always breaks it. Whenever he is entrusted, he betrays (if you keep something as a trust with him, he will not return it).

Whenever a person makes a promise, he or she must fulfill it; if he or she commits him/herself to something, whether it concerns other people or Allah The Almighty, and then falls short of delivering on it, that is considered a breach of the pledge. Allah The Almighty Says in surah Al-A’raf 102: And We did not find for most of them any covenant; but indeed, We found most of them defiantly disobedient.

The Prophet also warned us: “A person who has the following four (characteristics) is a pure hypocrite and he who possesses one of them has a trait of hypocrisy until he abandons it (gives it up): when he talks, he lies; when he makes a covenant, he proves to be treacherous; when he makes a promise, he breaks it; and when he disagrees with others, he disputes violently. Imam Bukhaariand Muslim.In fact, he, depicted a person who has this dispraised trait as one who has lost his or her nobility and religion, when he said: “A person who is not trustworthy has no faith and whoever breaches his pledge has no religion.” Ahmad.

Allah the Almighty forbade the believers from breaking their pledges and rendered it compulsory for them to fulfill them, as He Says: Allah said in surah Al-Isra 34: And fulfill (every) commitment. Indeed, the commitment is ever (that about which one will be) questioned. Allah said in surah Al-Maida 1: O you, who have believed, fulfill (all) contracts. Imaam Ath-Thahabi who said, “The forty-fifth major sin is treachery (betrayal of trust) and breaching (breaking) a covenant.